Press-door lock and release



Feb. 28, 1928. 1,660,837

w. L. HANcocK PRESS Doon Loox ANDRELEASE Filed April 25, 1925 2 Sums-sheet 1 Feb. 28, 1928. y1,660,837

K w. L. HANCOCK PRESS DOOR LOCK AND RELEASE Filed April 25,4, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2' Patented Feb. 28,1928.'

I "WILLIAM L. HANCOCK, F DALLAS, TEXAS Assenon 'ro THE.MURRAYCOMPANY,I or

DALLAs, Texas, A conronamron or TEXAS;

rEEss-noon Loon Ann RELEASE.

Application filed. Api-i1 25,1925. Serial 110125,1958.

yMy'invent-'ion is an improved cotton' press' door` fastener and release, designed to permit `the doors, after the bale has been compressed,

be gradually released and opened.

In Ithe drawings .f

Figure ll shows .an alternative construction for the operatingfhandle;

Figures 2 and 3 are a plan andside elevation. respectively of a press box, in closed position, fitted with my improvement;

Figure lis a side elevation of a press boX ittedwith my improvemena-the doors in released position;

Figure 5 is a side elevation of the eccentric cam; f

Figure 6 is a view of Figure 5 from the right hand side;

Figure 7 is `a detail of the link member;

Figure 8 isa detail of the actuating shaft; Figure 9 1s an end View of Figurey 8; Figures 10 and'l'lare sketch views of the actuating cam in locking and releasing rposition respectively.; f

v It will be obvious of course that my improvement is .applicable to a press of any size, single or -double and without regard to i' whether thepressureis applied 'from below or above orl by a screw, 'hydraulic ram, orV

other means, since my improvement relates doors ofthe` press boX. 1

only to means for securing andreleasing the.

u In cotton compressing installations, they' press is mounted upon substantial'f'oundationsills, whichr also carry means foroperating the press follower or moving platen, eitherup or down. The upper platen may `be removed tolfill the press box'with cotton,

Y if the installation 'isa singlepiess coin-V press and when the press boX is filled with cotton, the upper platen is'returned to` position and the doors of theV press bo'X are closed and locked in closedposition by hooks or other locking means. The follower or lower platen is then actuated' upward to compress the cotton into the upper part of the press box, against the upper platen. When the compression is complete the doors of the press box are released and lowered and` the bale tied and removed. y

In Vorder to release the door itis nee`-V l essary to remove or release the locking means and it is anA object of my invention to provide a securing mechanism, which may be operated to release the doors gradually and permit the cotton to. expand laterally, but

gradually and without :sound or shock and which shall permit the-locking i links'"to slide off the cams sid'ew'ise when the release is effected. I f 1 rIhis I accomplishv as follows: referring ifro'nt doors .6, VI mount, preferably upon lcross memberl, castings 762`carryir1g each Y a bearing'for ashaft 63 which passesacross'- the frontof the door6 throughthe 4bearings in'castings 62, the ends of the shaft'63 projecting outsideof thebearings atieach end. y

The projecting.- ends of the shaft 63 Y are, squared, as yat' 63a and the eXtreme end, 63h

isfbevelled off- (seeFiguresS and9').l

Upon the upper corners ofthe rear door@ areV mounted prefer-ablyupon a cross-member 71, castings 64, in whichfareloosely secured the endsV of jointed" 'links'9 V(seefFigures 7 and 4,)thejloop 91-being thefree end. The

shaft 63v is mountedinthe bearings lofczistings 62,`the squared-andbeveled ends'iproljectingv outside the castings 62. Upon each of thel squared ends ofthe shaft ai'efmounted respectively a mutilated `eccentric cam, 10 having a hug `11*` through. which a square aperture corresponding with the squared` ends ofthe shaft'k';A This eccentric cam isA i of-usual-forin Vat thefpositive section 12, that'fi i is, the part of greatestradius from thev shaft 63 and Vwith preferably. a` slight `grooveto betterfretain the 'loop or strap 91. IAtvthe opposite section,the cam is mutilated,`being l bevelled off at 113 in'a'slant which* corresponds-with the beveled end 63h of the shaft 63 (seeFigure 6), and 4also the strap-or'loop seat 'ofthe cam,-is beveledfrom theihub side sired, however, the handlemay be separatelyk mounted `Aatone endof the shaft, within the cam, to turn the shaft andi-its associated cams (see Figure l) the cam being at the'extreme so l 'to the dra-wings,illustrating van "embodimentr i of inyinvention, at'the'upper corners ofthe m5 end of tliefshaft may be actuated. If de# Y 2 v Y j 1,660,837

.vertieallyupward, and when the cam is in locking position, as in Figure 3, will extend vertically downward, in whielrposition it 1 may be secured by a catch, 21. The use of v' vis placed on the squared end of the shaft G8 the handle shown in Figure '12 is obvious.y

The square aperture in the end of the handle 1 andthe cainiis secured outsidethe handle at the extreme .end ofthe shaft.

The operation is as followszthe press chamber being empty, the frontand rear doors 6, 6, are closed, by seating the loops 91 Y of links 9 upon the cams, l0. The handle 2() is-then thrown down from the position of f Figure k4 to vthat of Figure 3,' thus turning the cams 10 and locking the doors. The

.press chamber is now filled with cotton andV the follower actuated upward, to compress -K the cotton, within'the upper baling chamber 8, against'the platen 5; The bale being` formed, kthe handle 20 is shifted 180 degrees from the position of Figure 3 to that of Figure 4, in this operation the cam 10 being gradually turned from locking to release position the doors gradually opening as the baled cotton expands as the restraint of the link members is released bringing thepmutilated side 13. of the earn to the outside posi tion, and permitting the loop 91 to slide off the earn, and the doors to open at the upper side, as shown in'Figure 4. The operation is a gradual release, asslow as desired, and without noise or jar, the operator standing to one side of the press in the operation of the handle 20. The doors may now be fully opened and the bale tied and removed andV "the operation repeated.

I have described the essentials of my device, vin its preferred form. In its preferred forni theoperating handleQO, is formed'integrally with the hub of one of the cams. In

FigureY l I show an alternative, in which the handle. '22, is separately formed and provided with a square aperture which may be seated upon the square end of the shaft, inside the calm, sothat when the cani is released the handle will stand vertically above the shaft and when the cam is locked-the handle will depend, below the shaft. This alterna- -ing bevelled'off upon the short radius oft ing mechanism for the press box door, coni-y prisinga pair of links, eachvsecured at Vone end to one side of the press box, and having attlie free end an engaging loop, the links crossing the ends of the press box; a. shaft Ymounted upon the free end of a press box door.; mutilated eccentric cams upon Veach end of the shaft to. receive the loops of the links; means to rotate the shaft'andits cams, to draw on or release the links, substantially as described. V

, 2. In a cotton press, a securing and releasing mechanism for the rpress box door, come prising a pair of links, each securedat one end to one door-of a press box and having at the free end of the links an engaging'loo'p, the links crossing the ends ofthe pressA box; a shaft mounted Yupon the free end of the other door of the press box; mutilated eccentric cains vat each end of the shaft, to receive the loops of the link; means to rotate lease the links.

soy

3. In a cotton press, a securing and `releas` ing mechanism for the press boxV door` coinprising a pair of links, eachsecured at one end to one side of the press box, each having at the free end an engaging loop, the links crossing the ends of the press box; a shaft mounted upon the free end of a press ybox door on the opposite side of; the press box,

eccentricxcains upon the ends of the shaft to receive the loops of the links, said cams becam to remove the face `of the cam to release the loops, means to rotate the shaft and cams,

tolock andrelease the door.

4. In a securing and releasing mechanisml for a cotton press box door, an eccentric cani, having an operating face upon the long` radius of the cain, and having the face bevelled off upon the short radius of the cam, substantially as described.

Signed atDallas, Texas, this 16th dayof`V Aprii i925.

Y wiLLiiiirn-HANCOGK. 

